Blair told 'heed anti-war message': "Tony Blair must persuade Labour supporters there could be no repeat of an Iraq-style war if the party is to recover from its local election hammering and win a third term in power, former foreign secretary Robin Cook said."

Al-Zawahri accuses U.S. in new tape: "A new audiotape believed to be from al-Qaida No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahri alleges that a U.S. plan for reform in the Middle East is really a bid to replace Arab leaders."

The anti-American Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr on Friday endorsed the new interim Iraqi government and appeared to urge his followers to honor a week-old cease-fire that has been frayed by continuing violence. A senior aide to Mr. Sadr, Sheik Jabir al-Khafaji, used a sermon during Friday Prayers in the Sadr stronghold of Kufa, 120 miles south of here, to announce that Mr. Sadr now approved of the interim government he had previously mocked and that he wanted its leaders to set a timetable for the departure of occupation forces. " ?From now on, I beg you to start afresh for Iraq for the sake of peace and safety,' " Sheik Khafaji quoted Mr. Sadr as saying. " ?We have to avoid pushing humiliation and aggression on others and go forward with the independence of Iraq and not respond to the occupiers.' " Those words represent a radical reversal of Mr. Sadr's past position. They could also represent an effort by Mr. Sadr to become involved in the politics of the nation, rather than continue as a leader of a 10-week-old insurgent struggle. [. . .] Another Sadr aide said after the sermon that Mr. Sadr's change of position did not mean that he supported the occupation or American involvement in the new government, but rather that he hoped the new government would work for the interests of Iraqis. Mr. Sadr met last Saturday with Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's most influential Shiite cleric, but it was unclear whether Ayatollah Sistani had persuaded Mr. Sadr to reverse his opposition to the new government. At the same time that Mr. Sadr's faction appeared to soften its hard-line position, imams at several Sunni mosques in Baghdad delivered sermons beseeching former officers of the Iraqi Army to join the insurgency and drive out the American-led occupation forces.

US soldiers have foiled a new sabotage attempt against Iraq's key oil sector following three successful attacks earlier in the week, the US military says. Local residents have alerted troops in the town of Qayyarah, between the main oil pipeline hub of Baiji and the northern capital of Mosul, to a bomb at a nearby refinery. " Soldiers quickly discovered the device, which was connected to a timer, and notified the explosive ordnance disposal team who destroyed the device ," a spokesman said. Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi warned yesterday that the country has lost more than $US200 million over the past seven months due to 130 separate attacks on its pipeline network. He blames terrorists and foreign fighters for targeting the industry, which generates more than 90 per cent of Iraq's revenues.

Early Abu Ghraib Reports Went Unheeded: "At least five soldiers objected last fall to abuses they saw at the Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad. One demanded to be reassigned, saying the behavior he witnessed there "made me sick to my stomach." (AP)"

Iraq War NewsNation bids final farewell to Reagan: "Mustering its most magnificent tributes for America's 40th president, the nation bid a final farewell to Ronald Reagan on Friday in a funeral praising the former president for his lifelong optimism and certainty about America and its place in the world."

Poll: Voters say Iraq didn't merit war: "A majority of American registered voters now say conditions in Iraq did not merit war, but most are reluctant to abandon efforts there, according to a new Los Angeles Times poll."

Boston police officers march on City Hall: "Picketing police officers marched to City Hall from the site of the Democratic National Convention on Friday after federal marshals began monitoring whether they were impeding efforts to convert the sports arena into a staging ground for John Kerry's nomination."

Gunmen raid police station near Baghdad: "Gunmen stormed a police station south of Baghdad, drove off the poorly armed police and blew up the building Friday in the fourth such attack against Iraqi security installations over the last week, officials and witnesses said."

Coup attempt in Congo put down by troops: "Congolese troops put down a coup attempt by a small band of dissidents within the presidential guard Friday, the government said, after heavy gunfire and tank shelling echoed across the central African nation's capital for several hours."

Ray Charles remembered as an innovator: "Ray Charles is being remembered as a musical innovator who blended genres of music to create a new style. Charles died on Thursday of acute liver disease at age 73."

Shiite Gunmen Raid Najaf Police Station: "Shiite gunmen loyal to radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr ransacked an Iraqi police station Thursday in the holy city of Najaf, threatening a truce that had held for nearly a week. U.S. troops refused to intervene in the fighting, in which six Iraqis died. (AP)"

U.N. crews halt West Bank reconstruction: "The United Nations suspended a construction project in this refugee camp after Palestinian gunmen threatened crews rebuilding houses destroyed by Israeli forces, a U.N. official said Thursday."

Iraq tribal chiefs try to restore order: "For centuries, tribal chiefs have held together the social fabric of Iraq through diplomacy and mediation - skills Iraqi leaders will need as they try to unite the country's ethnic and sectarian groups and stop the bloodshed of the past year."

Polish man home after Iraq kidnapping: "Blinking through the blinding dust kicked up by helicopter rotors, Jerzy Kos saw soldiers bursting through the iron door of the house where he was held captive in Iraq. Then, he recalled Thursday, they reassured him: "Don't worry, we are Americans.""

U.N. Endorses Iraq Sovereignty Transfer: "The U.N. Security Council gave resounding approval Tuesday to a resolution endorsing the transfer of sovereignty to Iraq's new government by the end of June. President Bush said the measure will set the stage for democracy in Iraq and be a "catalyst for change" in the Middle East. (AP)"

U.S. Wants 'Most' Iraq Debt Forgiven: "The Bush administration believesmost of Iraq's debt must be forgiven to ensure the country'sstability but will not specify a percentage, a U.S. officialsaid on Tuesday. (Reuters)"

Bush, G-8 leaders show new harmony on Iraq: "SEA ISLAND, Ga. (AP) - President Bush and other world leaders showcased a new harmony on Iraq on Tuesday as they gathered for their annual summit, but prickly issues remained over both Iraq and Bush's plan to promote democracy across the wider Middle East."

Zebari sees legitimacy in U.N. resolution: "A U.N. resolution on Iraqi sovereignty will give the country's new interim government the "international legitimacy" it needs with its people and neighboring countries, Iraq's foreign minister said Tuesday."

The U.N. Security Council on Wednesday unanimously voted for a U.S. resolution backing the transfer of sovereignty to Iraq's new government, which President Bush deemed a "catalyst for change." The resolution details the powers and the limitations of the new interim Iraqi government that will assume power on June 30. It authorizes the U.S. -led multinational force to remain in Iraq to help ensure security but gives the Iraqi government the right to ask the force to leave at any time. France and Germany dropped their objections after the resolution included a last-minute compromise giving Iraqi leaders control over the activities of their own troops and a say on "sensitive offensive operations" by the multinational force - such as the controversial siege of Fallujah. But the measure stops short of granting the Iraqis a veto over major U.S. -led military operations.

UN vote is ?catalyst for change'Bush told reporters at the Group of Eight summit in Sea Island, Georgia, that a unanimous vote would tell the world that the council nations "are interested in working together to make sure Iraq is free, peaceful and democratic". VOA :Iraq's Interim Government President welcomed the resolution and said it gives Iraq full sovereignty. He also asked the international community to help preserve law and order until Iraq can train its own security forces."

UN vote is 'catalyst for change': "The United Nations Security Council has given a resounding 15-0 endorsement to a United States resolution backing the transfer of sovereignty to Iraq's new government 14 months after the fall of Saddam Hussein."

Blair hails unanimous vote on Iraq: "Prime Minister Tony Blair has hailed the passing of a United Nations resolution paving the way for the transfer of sovereignty followed by democratic elections in Iraq."

A Look at U.S. Military Deaths in Iraq: "As of Tuesday, June 8, 825 U.S. service members have died since the beginning of military operations in Iraq in March 2003, according to the Defense Department. Of those, 607 died as a result of hostile action and 218 died of non-hostile causes. (AP)"

Bush Kicks Off G8 Summit Confident Over Iraq: "President Bush kicked off a summitof major industrialized countries on Tuesday confident thatIraq would be a unifying issue and not the source of divisionthat it has been in the past. (Reuters)"

U.N. Resolution Buys Time for Iraq Gov't: "The U.N. resolution approved by the 15-member Security Council buys time for the new Iraqi government - boosting its international stature as it struggles to win acceptance and cope with a security crisis at home. (AP)"

The top American general in Iraq says three Italians and a Polish citizen , who were abducted at different times in the past seven weeks, were freed in a U.S. -led rescue operation south of Baghdad. The top coalition military commander in Iraq, Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez, told reporters that all of the hostages were freed from the same location and that there was no exchange of gunfire. "The hostages are under coalition forces control and they are in good health. And yes, we did detain some individuals at the site," he said. General Sanchez did not give details about who the soldiers detained or exactly how the military operation freed the Italian and Polish hostages. But the commander of Polish troops in Iraq says special forces troops from the U.S. -led coalition were involved in the rescue mission. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi told Italian state television he expects the three Italians to be flown home on Wednesday.

Car Bombs in Two Iraqi Cities Kill 15: "Two car bombs exploded in separate cities in Iraq Tuesday, killing at least 14 Iraqis and one U.S. soldier. Dozens were wounded, including 10 American soldiers. A U.S. Marine was killed in action west of Baghdad. (AP)"

Iraq Gunmen Open Fire at Marines: "Gunmen opened fire Tuesday at U.S. Marines stationed near a suburb of the restive city of Fallujah, touching off a fire fight that killed one Iraqi woman, witnesses said. (AP)"

UN Set for Unanimous Vote on Iraq Resolution: "The U.N. Security Council headedfor a unanimous vote in favor of a U.S.- and British-backedresolution on Iraq's future on Tuesday after last-minutechanges on military policy met demands by France and Germany. (Reuters)"

Car Bombs In Iraq: "There were two bombs and a mortar attack Tuesday in Iraq. The bombs killed at least 14 Iraqis and injured at least 112 others. Two contract workers were hurt in the mortar attack, on a U.S. military base in Mosul."

Suicide Car Bombing Kills Four Iraqis: "Three car bombs shook the northern Iraqi cities of Baqouba and Mosul on Tuesday, killing at least 14 Iraqis and one U.S. soldier. At least 126 people were wounded, including 10 U.S. soldiers. (AP)"

UN Inspectors Find Iraqi Missile Parts in Holland: "Iraqi missile motors and otherweapons-related equipment have been smuggled to Europe forrecycling in scrapyards after they were left unguardedfollowing the U.S. invasion last year, U.N. inspectors said ina report released on Monday. (Reuters)"

Group claims responsibility for attacks: "A Web site posting purportedly written by a group affiliated with al-Qaida terror network has claimed responsibility for deadly attacks outside a U.S. military base in Iraq and an ambush that killed four employees of an American security company."

Police back on the streets of Najaf: "A speeding white pickup truck pulled over and Kalashnikov-wielding policemen poured out, taking positions near coils of barbed wire and making it clear they've arrived to safeguard peace between American troops and Shiite militiamen."

Iraq Violence Undermines Saddam Tribunal: "Fearing for his life, an American-educated Iraqi assigned to set up the court to try Saddam Hussein works from a secret office and rarely sleeps in the same bed twice. (AP)"

"We're coming with a mighty force to end the reign of your
oppressors," Bush said, addressing Iraqis who might be
listening from afar. "We are coming to bring you food and
medicine and a better life. And we are coming and we will
not stop, we will not relent until your country is free."
We are very proud of you,Keep your helmet on!

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